Review & First Impressions: Pantac Go-Bag

I haven’t made any airsoft-related purchases in awhile, which is partly due to recent resolution to scale back my spending on said hobby. That being said, the above Pantac Go-Bag was a bit of an impulse buy. I had wanted one a long time ago back when I was in the market for a small/mid size pack, but never got around to getting one. When one came up for sale on the ASC forums in like-new condition, I jumped at the opportunity.

Review and initial thoughts after the break.

Go-Bags like this one found their start with vehicle crews who needed a quick grab-and-go bag filled with supplies/tools for emergency situations. This is partially why the bag is cylindrical; it can cram into spaces that your traditional rectangular bag wouldn’t be able to fit, like the cramped spaces in a chopper or APC. In more recent times the rise in popularity of survivalism has led to many people buying go-bags like this one and filling it with emergency supplies for use in SHTF moments, like natural disasters, civil unrest, or zombie apocalypses.

The main compartment is accessed via two zippers on either side that run the length of the pack; these zippers are connected via a cord which means pulling on the cord unzips both zippers. Velcro holds the flap sealed at the top. The main compartment measures 20″x6″x6″, which is kind of an odd size. You’re not going to be able to toss a laptop in there, for example, but that’s because it’s not meant to hold things like laptops. It’s meant to carry stuff like tools, rations, and other urgent supplies that you’d need in a grab-and-go bag. That being said, I suppose you could toss a couple of t-shirts and some toiletries in there if you wanted to use this as an overnight bag.

The interior also has an integrated pocket for a hydration bladder, should you choose to run one.

On the outer face of the bag are three zippered pockets that measure 6″x5″x2″. To be honest I would have preferred that two (or all three) of the pockets be combined into one larger compartment. The smaller pockets are useful for the smaller essentials, like batteries and a bag of BBs, or small tools/snacks that you want to keep close at hand. The fact that they’re zippered and have a flap covering the zipper makes them relatively (but not completely) waterproof, so I wouldn’t hesitate to toss things like lipos in there provided they’re sealed in a plastic bag.

Running along the side of the pack are two rows of 3×3 molle for attachment of additional pouches – I’ve tossed a Pantac canteen pouch on there for easy access to hydration. There is also a slim zippered compartment running the length of the pack that is separate from the main compartment. It’s quite slim and doesn’t open up very much, which leads me to believe it’s meant for stuff like documents, notepads, and maps (the M4 mag in the above pic is there for illustration/scale purposes). It’s worth noting that this compartment is divided into two on one side of the bag, and is just one compartment on the other.

The shoulder strap is nice and wide, which is nice because the entirety of the bag’s weight will be on that one shoulder. It also contains a small 2×3 patch of molle that I’ve tossed a Pantac radio pouch to – this keeps my radio close at hand when the bag is slung. Also in the pic above is a Petzl headlamp (review coming soon) that, when turned on, allows for handsfree light.

It goes without saying that being manufactured by Pantac means the overall build quality is top notch. I’ve been a fan of Pantac for many years now and this bag is no exception to their high standard (Flyye also makes a similar go-bag, but reviews I’ve found online lead me to believe that the Pantac one is the superior product). To be honest, I’m still not 100% about when exactly I’ll need this pack. I may run it with a belt rig as a super-high speed low drag kind of loadout. The size and shape of the bag keeps it from being a very effective EDC bag (and I have other bags for that purpose) but it’s well suited for a day hike/trip bag where you’ll want to carry along some supplies. It could also make a good gym bag, as the shape of the bag is perfectly suited for your gym clothes and your runners.

Otherwise, I may just fill it with emergency supplies in case of the zombie apocalypse if and when that happens. In unrelated news, I’m now accepting applications to join my zombie hunter team.